Customer's hateful rant about dying diner goes viral

Holly Jones wasn't happy. Having spent $US700 ($970) for a New Year's Eve night out, she expected first class treatment - not to have her meal "ruined" by the selfish act of another patron having a heart attack.

So she did as any irate customer with an internet connection would do, and posted a rant on the Indianapolis restaurant's Facebook page.

"I will never go back to this location for New Year's Eve!!!" Ms Jones vowed. "After the way we were treated when we spent $700+ and having our meal ruined by watching a dead person being wheeled out from an overdose my night has been ruined!"

The rant - variously described as cruel, heartless and any number of other pejoratives - has since gone viral around the world. Unfortunately for Ms Jones, the staff and customers of Kilroy's Bar 'N' Grill - and pretty much the entire internet - had very little sympathy for her distress.

Ms Jones went on to write that although she had come to Kilroy's many times before, she was unimpressed by the staff prioritising the dying person ahead of attending to her needs.

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"The manager also told us someone dying was more important then [sic] us being there making us feel like our business didn't matter," she complained.

The incident was confirmed by the restaurant's manager, Chris Burton, who told reporters police had to be stationed near Ms Jones' table until her party settled the bill.

He replied to Ms Jones on Facebook, informing her that the person she assumed to be a "junkie" experiencing an overdose was in fact an older woman who had suffered a heart attack. The woman was taken to hospital and survived.

"This poor lady ... had to be placed on the floor of a completely packed bar and have her shirt removed in front of everyone so the paramedics could work on her," Mr Burton wrote.

"I'm glad to hear you won't be coming back to Kilroy's because we wouldn't want anyone as cold hearted and nasty as you returning. You can take your money anywhere else."

Ms Jones has deleted her Facebook account but her employer, a hair and beauty parlour called Serenity Salon, published a Facebook post distancing itself from her comments. The business would "deal with this matter internally and take whatever actions deemed necessary".

But the unhappy episode has a silver-lining. The global attention visited upon this humble midwestern US diner has allowed it to promote a GoFundMe campaign being run by Tohnna Wymer, the daughter of the woman who suffered the heart attack.

The campaign has raised more than $US11,000 in just one day, to cover subsequent medical bills and any necessary therapy sessions. "We fully believe in the power of prayer and know she will come back to us," Ms Wymer wrote.

Serenity Salon and Kilroy's both donated to the fund. The restaurant's Facebook page was inundated with people declaring they would patronise the venue soon, while the salon's page was filled with people promising to take their business elsewhere.